PUG performance night

£916

42

What is PUG?

Back in July 2016, Hannah, Rosa and Jamie met a fisherman in Leazes Park. They asked him what he thought a radical new performance club night in Newcastle should be. The man replied, “Cheap. Good transport links. Fun.” These became the three pillars of PUG.

PUG is an alternative variety night in the beautiful Tyneside Irish Centre in Newcastle. It’s a home for artwork that is marginalised in the North East - interdisciplinary, queer and community-driven performance. It’s also a party! We want audiences to have a really great night out - which includes keeping the ticket price at Pay What You Feel.

Tara Fatehi Irani at PUG#2. Photo by Chris Bishop.

Who is PUG?

Artists and Audiences

PUG programmes both established, middle-career and emerging artists working across art forms to curate a surprising night for audiences. Over the next year we want to invite 12 of the most exciting performance makers both from the North East and across the UK to show 10 minutes of new ideas or to revisit old ones.

"Amazing experience on Friday, felt exhilarated. Felt alive and appreciated and able to make people happy." Artist at PUG#2, Tony Huzzard, Dancer with Company of Others II

PUG is affordable. So even if people don’t recognise the names on the bill we hope they’ll try it out and that they will be inspired and challenged by what they see. The Tyneside Irish Centre is a fantastic venue, wheelchair accessible, cosy and fabulous. Anyone looking for a laugh, a dance, a new best friend should try out PUG.

Creative Team

PUG is co-hosted by Rosa Postlethwaite and Hannah Walker. It is produced by Rosa Postlethwaite. PUG is a party thanks to technical manager and resident DJ, Jamie Cook.
PUG’s posters and flyers are designed by Emily Wray and is captured by photographer, Chris Bishop.

What have we done so far?

"Newcastle needs PUG: it is an opportunity for artists to be supported in creating work out of new ideas, both financially and artistically." Artist at PUG#1, Luca Rutherford.

So far we have hosted two shows. And presented work by Charlie Dearnley, Luca Rutherford, Dawn Felicia Knox and Nicola Hunter, Matt Miller, Tara Fatehi Irani and Company of Others II.

With NARC writer, Simon Beckwith we have created an interview series called PUG Spotlight, see more here.

A beautiful gallery of photos. And some great designs. But we want to do more..

Dance floor at PUG#2. Photo: Chris Bishop.

What’s next for PUG?

MORE, BIGGER, SHOWS

In the next year, we want to tie the North East into a national circuit of regular alternative variety nights. We want to UP OUR PACE - producing four PUGs across one year. As well as producing a PUG PARTY as part of GIFT Festival on 28th April 2017! See more at the GIFT website.

We want to provide a travel bursary so that performers across the UK can take part in PUG and we also want to provide Open Call slots so that we’re more aware of the exciting, experimental work happening under our noses. We want to have time to think about what we do as hosts and how the event feels, having days for management and rehearsal factored in.

LONGER LEGACY

We want to be more savvy, grow our creative team and create an online archive of digital captures of PUG. This means that people who are unable to come to a PUG night in person can still see what’s going on. And it means that artists performing at PUG can use this documentation to show off what they do. We want to create a fantastic website with useful resources and juicy trailers.

Who else is backing it?

Audiences have been backing PUG by coming along and spending money on art! And artists have backed it by creating brilliant work and spreading the word.

This next stage of development is supported by DANCE CITY and the ESMEE FAIRBAIRN FOUNDATION as well as through a GIFT FESTIVAL commission. We are very excited to announce that our funding application for an ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND grant was successful and we now need your support to show them that we can do it!

PUG has been supported by family, partners and friends. We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has support PUG so far.

Why we need your support?

"I think supporting and being part of a locally accessible platform like PUG will help keep the performance scene and experimentation spirit alive." Artist at PUG#2, Tara Fatehi Irani.

We need to raise £800 through this Kickstarter Campaign in order to secure Art Council funding for the next year and to host four more PUG shows.

£15 provides artists with backstage snacks and beverages, £50 means that we can print gorgeous posters and flyers, £100 will go to an artist’s travel bursary and £200 means that a PUG night can be captured in film.

So this money will do a lot!
If you do have any spare cash please donate to PUG. As well as all our thanks we’re looking forward you to giving you something in return!

Risks and challenges

This project is low risk as PUG producer, Rosa has a track record of delivering successful projects and managing budgets, including two PUG events.

It does mark a step-up in terms of working with a larger team and with more artists. However Rosa is in good company, with a network of people she can ask advice from - GIFT Festival Organiser, Kate Craddock, Artistic Director of Company of Others, Nadia Iftkhar and Director of the Empty Space, Natalie Querol to name just a few.

When creating a night of performance there is always the risk that people wont come! But she'll combat this by working with marketing consultant, Melanie Rashbrooke, accessibility consultant, Phil Douglas and with pioneering performance artist, Lois Weaver as a creative mentor. The success of the last two PUG events suggests that there is an audience hungry for more!

Most of the funding is now secured and dates are booked. PUG just needs your backing to help it grow.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £250 or more
About $313

#6

Oh too much! But yes please! And thank you! For this you are invited to a PUG DINNER PARTY. Come to Rosa's for a home-cooked veggie meal and have a introduction to Hannah and Rosa's favourite performance artists via Youtube.